Gate latch assemblies of the type disclosed herein have been in constant use for quite some time. A typical assembly of this type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,266,831 whereby a latch bar is fixedly mounted on a gate. The gate is latched or held closed by positioning the latch bar in a slot in a frame while engaging the latch bar with a pawl which is similarly mounted on the frame. The latch bar and gate are then retained by the pawl against movement relative to the frame and gate post. When the gate is to be opened, the latch pawl is pivoted upwardly to release the latch bar from movement relative to the gate post.
Prior art assemblies have experienced certain difficulties which are inherent in such configurations. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,433,518 notes that after a gate has been hung and then begins to sag or droop relative to a gate post, the latch assembly ceases to function adequately as the latch bar and slotted frame cease to be in alignment. The referenced patent attempts to solve this problem by exaggerating the width of the slot in the latch frame to such an extent that it will accept a latch bar even when the latter is appended to a grossly misaligned gate and post assembly.
There are, however, additional shortcomings inherent in such gate latch assemblies of the prior art. For example, misalignment of the latch bar and latch frame occurs not only as a result of a sagging gate but also as a result of various attachment means pulling loose from post and gate elements as a result of the repeated use of the subject gate latch assembly. This is a particularly acute problem when these assemblies are functionally connected to redwood and other soft wooden members.
Prior gate latch assemblies also generally rely upon gravity to bias the latching pawl to secure an appropriate latch bar. When a pull cord is provided through the gate post, latch assemblies, which have been exposed to varied weather conditions and foreign debris do not operate as smoothly as corresponding new assemblies. As a result, parts which are biased merely by gravity tend to resist movement resulting in the failure to appropriately latch the gate to the post without the user having to positively engage the pawl with the latch bar. Once the pull cord is actuated, a weathered gate latch assembly may not adequately release the latch bar and the user may be forced to reach over the gate itself to physically pull the latch bar from the latch frame.
Virtually no prior gate latch assemblies allow the user to actuate the assembly employing a pull cord without need for the use of one's hands. Oftentimes, users approaching a gate are carrying objects which prevent them from using their hands to actuate the gate latch assembly. Even if this were not a problem, prior assemblies, particularly those which have been in service for some time, do not encourage the latch bar's release from the latch frame and, as such, the user must not only pull an appropriate actuating cord but simultaneously push the gate forward prior to release of the latching pawl or the latch bar would simply be recaptured by the pawl and remain within the latch frame.
Finally, a major deficiency in virtually all prior gate latch assemblies is the failure over time for the latch bar and slot in the latch frame becoming misaligned. As noted previously, this deficiency was recognized and dealt with in U.S. Pat. No. 3,433,518 by increasing the width of the slot so that even grossly misaligned latch bars will be accepted by the latch frame. However, this solution has proven to be grossly inadequate as such configuration lacks the precision deemed desirable in any gate latch assembly.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a gate latch assembly for releasably holding a gate in a closed position relative to a gate post while improving over corresponding assemblies of the prior art.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a gate latch assembly for releasably holding a gate in a closed position relative to a gate post while remedying the various deficiencies recited above and which characterize virtually all prior designs.
These and other objects and features of the invention will become more apparent when considering the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of the gate latch assembly of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the gate latch assembly of the present invention taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a side plan view and partial cross-section of the gate latch assembly of the present invention taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the gate latch assembly of the present invention taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a partial plan view of the gate latch assembly of the present invention depicting the spring biasing means of the latch bar;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the gate latch assembly as shown in FIG. 4 depicting the actuation of the latching pawl through movement of an appropriate bell crank;
FIG. 7 is a further embodiment of a gate latch assembly of the present invention whereby the latch bar has been secured to an appropriate gate post and latch frame to a corresponding gate; and
FIG. 8 is a top plan view showing an alternative embodiment of connector means between the pull cable and pawl of the present invention.